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Description
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Present
I do not own the Legend of Zelda© or any of its characters.

Chapter 5: Your Friend

Zelda couldn't move. She couldn't speak. However, she didn't have to. Or want to for that matter. What she wanted to do was understand. She knew this was a dream. Things were changing all around her. But it felt so real. She could see Link. She watched as he battled countless, fearsome monsters, and restoring peace to the world. However, she also watched as each battle took its toll. Not only on his body, but also his spirit. What was he fighting for again? Why does he keep standing? Could anyone blame him if he gave up? What was the point in the end? "Zelda…" The dream spoke to her, "No matter what….I…I will protect you…" So that was why. It was all for her. She saw many of him now. They all looked a little different. Some younger. Some older. But they all echoed the same as the first.

Slowly, however, with each new Link, his spirit started to weaken even more, until, eventually, it broke. The world turned black. Zelda looked around, her ability to move returned to her. Her eyes rested on another Link. This one seemed different. He seemed malicious, murderous, and evil. His skin was ash white. His hair was the darkest shade she had ever seen. And his eyes, they were no longer that deep blue she always got pulled into. They were blood red. He raised his sword and spoke in a thin, raspy voice, "The hero will fall. His spirit will be crushed. And the world will be in darkness, for eternity!" With that he brought the blade down.

Zelda awoke with a start. A hand was shaking her. She gasped in surprise and knocked the hand away, jumping back. "Whoa! Calm down Zelda. It's just me. We need to head out soon. C'mon." Link stood and held out his hand. Zelda cautiously took it and stood up. His hair was still blond, and his eyes were still blue. "Uh…Zelda? Is there something on my face?" Link asked, uncomfortable, and a little self-conscious as she was checking him to make sure she wasn't dreaming again. "Hmm? Oh! Uh…no…I….er….nothing! I'll be out in a second!" Link nodded and walked out. Zelda sighed and began to dress. She was kind of at a loss to what she should pack. From what she's read in books, journeys like this are very tough and filled with danger. She found a simple pair of blue jeans and a short sleeve t-shirt and put them on.

After she had walked outside, she noticed that it was still dark out! Link was leaning against the wall in the hallway, waiting. He was dressed in the same clothing that she had found him in. Surprisingly, it was fixed. Zelda asked him, "Why are we leaving so early?" Link glanced in her direction, "Because, we don't know how long it will take us to get to the resting place of the first flame. Then we have to actually 'find' the flame." "Oh." Zelda couldn't really question it too much. He had been on dangerous quests since he was a small boy. They were just about to walk out the door when they heard footsteps behind them. Kaepora was standing in the hallway holding a small bundle. He handed it to Zelda and said, "This has been passed down through our family for centuries. Each generation has kept it in good condition regardless of being used or not." Zelda nodded and promised to take good care of it. With a final wave they set off down the dark streets of the city.

When they reached the entrance to the forest, a small chime was heard as Fi appeared in front of them. "Master, I have important information for you. I am detecting a large amount of energy coming from the deepest part of this forest. There is an 85% chance that this could be Farore's Flame. I will guide you to it, Master." Link nodded, "Lead the way." With that Fi took off into the woods. Link turned to Zelda, who nodded in turn, and they followed after the sword spirit.

Zelda had thought, at first, that because it was so early in the morning, monsters would be asleep. The keyword here? Thought. It proved not to be the case. After about five minutes in, they were attacked by keese. After Link dispatched them with his bow and sword, Zelda accidentally stepped on a deku baba. Apparently, it didn't like being used as a stepping stone and started to snap at them. Link quickly cut it down. Some deku scrubs were attracted by the sounds of fighting and chased them for a while. Needless to say, she was getting annoyed. "Ugh! What is with this forest!? It's like everywhere we turn there are enemies just waiting for us!" Link sighed for about the fifth time. This was one of the many reasons he preferred traveling alone. "I'm sure it isn't much farther to the temple. Just try to relax and watch your step." Zelda huffed, "Easy for you to say, you've done this for what, ten years? You're a pro! The only reason I'm here is to open a freaking door!" Link, trying his best to calm her down, replied, "Actually a little longer than that, but still, don't forget this is an 'important' freaking door." Zelda rolled her eyes, "What's so important about one door?" Link turned and smiled, "It's one I can't open without you."

Zelda felt her cheeks burn, "Ah, well……um….let's focus on finding it then." Link nodded and continued forward. He began concentrating on his surroundings. Listening for incoming attacks and watching Fi. If anything, he wanted to get there quickly and restore the Master Sword as soon as possible. The further they went in, however, the more nostalgic he felt. From his memory of Hyrule, they had entered the Lost Woods some time ago. This was one of the many sections that were still unexplored. His thoughts were interrupted by Fi, who had suddenly stopped just ahead. "Master, we are here. However, there seem to be many enemies guarding the area. It will be difficult to dispatch them all." Link ducked behind a tree and looked around to see what Fi was talking about. Zelda crouched next to him. Just as she had said, there was a large structure just beyond their hideout. The entrance was back in a corner surrounded by two walls of rock. Different trees and other flora and fauna dotted these walls and hung out over the ground. There were also hordes of monsters in the area.

Link scanned the enemies quickly and made a head count. Twenty deku baba vines, all spread out, fifteen deku shrub nests, four wolfos, and a whole flock of keese. "This could be a problem…" Link groaned. Zelda looked up questioningly, "Why? You've fought tougher enemies than these guys right?" Link frowned and looked down at her, "Yes, but usually I didn't have someone with me. If I charge out there and start attacking there is a chance you would get discovered and you'd be in danger." Zelda thought for a second. He was right. If they tried to take them all on, she could get discovered. On the other hand, they couldn't just sneak around them all. "Master, I have a suggestion." Link glanced over to Fi. "If we could distract a majority of the enemies, dispatching the rest and sneaking by would be much easier. Don't you have something that can make a 'noise' to distract them?" Link thought. Noise. A song? Wait a minute…. Saria's song! "Perfect!" Zelda eyed Link suspiciously, "What are you going on about? Exactly what part of this situation is perfect?" Link ignored her and pulled out his ocarina. He took a deep breath, and played the song that was taught to him by his best friend. Saria's song echoed off the trees and the walls of the temple entrance. A memory rushed into his head as he was playing.

"I've been waiting for you, Link!" A young girl, who looked no older than twelve, was sitting on a stump with an instrument similar to Link's. "This is the 'Sacred Forest Meadow'. It's my secret place! I feel… it will be very important for both of us someday… that's what I feel…" She seemed sad, like she knew that whatever would make it important, wouldn't be a good thing. Regardless she smiled and said, "If you play the ocarina here, you can talk with the spirits in the forest. Would you like to play the ocarina with me?" Link nodded his head. After playing the lively tune, the young girl seemed extremely happy. "Please don't forget this song. Do you promise?"

Link was snapped out of his memory by Zelda. She was shaking him lightly, "Link, something's happening! It's almost like the forest is singing with you…" Sure enough, even though he had stopped playing, the song continued, almost seeming to come out of the forest itself. The Deku scrubs, panicked and ran from their nests into the undergrowth. Cowards. The Keese flew around in a daze, confused by the multitude of directions that the song was coming from and eventually flew away. The wolfos growled and looked around, trying to locate the source of the commotion. "Looks like they aren't so easily spooked…" Link noted. Just then, a small ball of light shot past Link. He blinked in surprise, then looked again as more flew out of the forest towards the wolfos. "Link, what are those things?" Zelda asked, worried. Link couldn't believe it! "They're…..the Forest Spirits… But how….?" The wolfos ran into the dense brush to escape the tiny spirits of the forest. Then, as quickly as they appeared, the tiny balls of light disappeared.

Link just stared. He was sure that the spirits knew he needed help. But how did they know…? A small voice sounded in his head, "It's good to hear from you again….Link." Link's eyes widened. 'Saria!? It can't be…' "I am not here anymore Link. I have passed on and become one with the spirits of the forest. Protect Hyrule and Zelda once again, chosen hero." And with that, the voice was gone. Link sank to his knees. He never thought about it before. Over a thousand years had passed. Did he really expect that the people he knew would still be around? Saria, Darunia, Ruto, Impa, Nabooru, and Rauru. The sages, and everyone else he knew. They were gone. "Link…whats wrong?" Link turned to Zelda. She looked worried, "Why are you crying?" He reached up and touched his cheek. Sure enough, there were tears. "N-nothing…" He wiped his face on his sleeve, "I'll take care of the Deku Babas, stay close to me."

Link charged from his hiding place. The plants immediately sprang to life as they felt his presence grow closer. He pressed forward, slashing through anything that wasn't human. This was his element. The drunkenness of battle taking over him. One phrase still echoed through his mind, even after he drove his blade through the last enemy. The quivering plant slowly quit moving. "Saria, will always be….your friend." Zelda walked up and touched his shoulder, "Let's hurry and get that flame." He nodded, and stood back from the door. Zelda examined the barrier for a while and noticed that in the middle, the Triforce symbol was etched into the door. The Triforce of Wisdom was slightly indented. She passed her hand over it and it began to glow. Slowly, the door slid open with a loud grinding sound. Air rushed inside, almost like it was pulling at them, coaxing them to enter its depths. Link and Zelda glanced at each other, nodded, and entered the darkness.

Description
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Present
I do not own the Legend of Zelda© or any of its characters.

Chapter 5: Your Friend

Zelda couldn't move. She couldn't speak. However, she didn't have to. Or want to for that matter. What she wanted to do was understand. She knew this was a dream. Things were changing all around her. But it felt so real. She could see Link. She watched as he battled countless, fearsome monsters, and restoring peace to the world. However, she also watched as each battle took its toll. Not only on his body, but also his spirit. What was he fighting for again? Why does he keep standing? Could anyone blame him if he gave up? What was the point in the end? "Zelda…" The dream spoke to her, "No matter what….I…I will protect you…" So that was why. It was all for her. She saw many of him now. They all looked a little different. Some younger. Some older. But they all echoed the same as the first.

Slowly, however, with each new Link, his spirit started to weaken even more, until, eventually, it broke. The world turned black. Zelda looked around, her ability to move returned to her. Her eyes rested on another Link. This one seemed different. He seemed malicious, murderous, and evil. His skin was ash white. His hair was the darkest shade she had ever seen. And his eyes, they were no longer that deep blue she always got pulled into. They were blood red. He raised his sword and spoke in a thin, raspy voice, "The hero will fall. His spirit will be crushed. And the world will be in darkness, for eternity!" With that he brought the blade down.

Zelda awoke with a start. A hand was shaking her. She gasped in surprise and knocked the hand away, jumping back. "Whoa! Calm down Zelda. It's just me. We need to head out soon. C'mon." Link stood and held out his hand. Zelda cautiously took it and stood up. His hair was still blond, and his eyes were still blue. "Uh…Zelda? Is there something on my face?" Link asked, uncomfortable, and a little self-conscious as she was checking him to make sure she wasn't dreaming again. "Hmm? Oh! Uh…no…I….er….nothing! I'll be out in a second!" Link nodded and walked out. Zelda sighed and began to dress. She was kind of at a loss to what she should pack. From what she's read in books, journeys like this are very tough and filled with danger. She found a simple pair of blue jeans and a short sleeve t-shirt and put them on.

After she had walked outside, she noticed that it was still dark out! Link was leaning against the wall in the hallway, waiting. He was dressed in the same clothing that she had found him in. Surprisingly, it was fixed. Zelda asked him, "Why are we leaving so early?" Link glanced in her direction, "Because, we don't know how long it will take us to get to the resting place of the first flame. Then we have to actually 'find' the flame." "Oh." Zelda couldn't really question it too much. He had been on dangerous quests since he was a small boy. They were just about to walk out the door when they heard footsteps behind them. Kaepora was standing in the hallway holding a small bundle. He handed it to Zelda and said, "This has been passed down through our family for centuries. Each generation has kept it in good condition regardless of being used or not." Zelda nodded and promised to take good care of it. With a final wave they set off down the dark streets of the city.

When they reached the entrance to the forest, a small chime was heard as Fi appeared in front of them. "Master, I have important information for you. I am detecting a large amount of energy coming from the deepest part of this forest. There is an 85% chance that this could be Farore's Flame. I will guide you to it, Master." Link nodded, "Lead the way." With that Fi took off into the woods. Link turned to Zelda, who nodded in turn, and they followed after the sword spirit.

Zelda had thought, at first, that because it was so early in the morning, monsters would be asleep. The keyword here? Thought. It proved not to be the case. After about five minutes in, they were attacked by keese. After Link dispatched them with his bow and sword, Zelda accidentally stepped on a deku baba. Apparently, it didn't like being used as a stepping stone and started to snap at them. Link quickly cut it down. Some deku scrubs were attracted by the sounds of fighting and chased them for a while. Needless to say, she was getting annoyed. "Ugh! What is with this forest!? It's like everywhere we turn there are enemies just waiting for us!" Link sighed for about the fifth time. This was one of the many reasons he preferred traveling alone. "I'm sure it isn't much farther to the temple. Just try to relax and watch your step." Zelda huffed, "Easy for you to say, you've done this for what, ten years? You're a pro! The only reason I'm here is to open a freaking door!" Link, trying his best to calm her down, replied, "Actually a little longer than that, but still, don't forget this is an 'important' freaking door." Zelda rolled her eyes, "What's so important about one door?" Link turned and smiled, "It's one I can't open without you."

Zelda felt her cheeks burn, "Ah, well……um….let's focus on finding it then." Link nodded and continued forward. He began concentrating on his surroundings. Listening for incoming attacks and watching Fi. If anything, he wanted to get there quickly and restore the Master Sword as soon as possible. The further they went in, however, the more nostalgic he felt. From his memory of Hyrule, they had entered the Lost Woods some time ago. This was one of the many sections that were still unexplored. His thoughts were interrupted by Fi, who had suddenly stopped just ahead. "Master, we are here. However, there seem to be many enemies guarding the area. It will be difficult to dispatch them all." Link ducked behind a tree and looked around to see what Fi was talking about. Zelda crouched next to him. Just as she had said, there was a large structure just beyond their hideout. The entrance was back in a corner surrounded by two walls of rock. Different trees and other flora and fauna dotted these walls and hung out over the ground. There were also hordes of monsters in the area.

Link scanned the enemies quickly and made a head count. Twenty deku baba vines, all spread out, fifteen deku shrub nests, four wolfos, and a whole flock of keese. "This could be a problem…" Link groaned. Zelda looked up questioningly, "Why? You've fought tougher enemies than these guys right?" Link frowned and looked down at her, "Yes, but usually I didn't have someone with me. If I charge out there and start attacking there is a chance you would get discovered and you'd be in danger." Zelda thought for a second. He was right. If they tried to take them all on, she could get discovered. On the other hand, they couldn't just sneak around them all. "Master, I have a suggestion." Link glanced over to Fi. "If we could distract a majority of the enemies, dispatching the rest and sneaking by would be much easier. Don't you have something that can make a 'noise' to distract them?" Link thought. Noise. A song? Wait a minute…. Saria's song! "Perfect!" Zelda eyed Link suspiciously, "What are you going on about? Exactly what part of this situation is perfect?" Link ignored her and pulled out his ocarina. He took a deep breath, and played the song that was taught to him by his best friend. Saria's song echoed off the trees and the walls of the temple entrance. A memory rushed into his head as he was playing.

"I've been waiting for you, Link!" A young girl, who looked no older than twelve, was sitting on a stump with an instrument similar to Link's. "This is the 'Sacred Forest Meadow'. It's my secret place! I feel… it will be very important for both of us someday… that's what I feel…" She seemed sad, like she knew that whatever would make it important, wouldn't be a good thing. Regardless she smiled and said, "If you play the ocarina here, you can talk with the spirits in the forest. Would you like to play the ocarina with me?" Link nodded his head. After playing the lively tune, the young girl seemed extremely happy. "Please don't forget this song. Do you promise?"

Link was snapped out of his memory by Zelda. She was shaking him lightly, "Link, something's happening! It's almost like the forest is singing with you…" Sure enough, even though he had stopped playing, the song continued, almost seeming to come out of the forest itself. The Deku scrubs, panicked and ran from their nests into the undergrowth. Cowards. The Keese flew around in a daze, confused by the multitude of directions that the song was coming from and eventually flew away. The wolfos growled and looked around, trying to locate the source of the commotion. "Looks like they aren't so easily spooked…" Link noted. Just then, a small ball of light shot past Link. He blinked in surprise, then looked again as more flew out of the forest towards the wolfos. "Link, what are those things?" Zelda asked, worried. Link couldn't believe it! "They're…..the Forest Spirits… But how….?" The wolfos ran into the dense brush to escape the tiny spirits of the forest. Then, as quickly as they appeared, the tiny balls of light disappeared.

Link just stared. He was sure that the spirits knew he needed help. But how did they know…? A small voice sounded in his head, "It's good to hear from you again….Link." Link's eyes widened. 'Saria!? It can't be…' "I am not here anymore Link. I have passed on and become one with the spirits of the forest. Protect Hyrule and Zelda once again, chosen hero." And with that, the voice was gone. Link sank to his knees. He never thought about it before. Over a thousand years had passed. Did he really expect that the people he knew would still be around? Saria, Darunia, Ruto, Impa, Nabooru, and Rauru. The sages, and everyone else he knew. They were gone. "Link…whats wrong?" Link turned to Zelda. She looked worried, "Why are you crying?" He reached up and touched his cheek. Sure enough, there were tears. "N-nothing…" He wiped his face on his sleeve, "I'll take care of the Deku Babas, stay close to me."

Link charged from his hiding place. The plants immediately sprang to life as they felt his presence grow closer. He pressed forward, slashing through anything that wasn't human. This was his element. The drunkenness of battle taking over him. One phrase still echoed through his mind, even after he drove his blade through the last enemy. The quivering plant slowly quit moving. "Saria, will always be….your friend." Zelda walked up and touched his shoulder, "Let's hurry and get that flame." He nodded, and stood back from the door. Zelda examined the barrier for a while and noticed that in the middle, the Triforce symbol was etched into the door. The Triforce of Wisdom was slightly indented. She passed her hand over it and it began to glow. Slowly, the door slid open with a loud grinding sound. Air rushed inside, almost like it was pulling at them, coaxing them to enter its depths. Link and Zelda glanced at each other, nodded, and entered the darkness.